All Rights Belong to Others - I lay no claim to them, nor do I profit from them - no matter how much I enjoy them.
A post Amends very short fic ...
The Right Thing To Do
Bobby had a fair idea of where he was going; despite it being completely unfamiliar territory. He was quiet as he drove along the New York countryside. Loosening his tie, he kept an eye out for the the road sign that would tell him to turn left. He wasn't sure how wise this trip would turn out to be, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt he had to make it.
He had no idea how Eames would react, none whatsoever. Whatever happened, he still believed it was the the right thing to do. Because there was no other way to look at this… it was simply the right thing to do. She didn't talk much about her past, neither of them did, really. But she still knew more about his life than he did about hers. This is one of the few things he knew about her that she hadn't told him. He'd found this out on his own years ago, the day he learned he was going to Major Case and the name of his new partner there - Alexandra Eames. Alex. Eames. He'd done a little research into what kind of cop his new partner was, and as with most things found out more than he was looking for, and he had always guarded that information.
The rolling hills, green open fields, and small towns dotting the drive were a nice change of pace from the grey congested highrises of Manhattan. Nice in a 'retire to the country and write a novel kind of way'… nice in a 'let's see how long it takes the city-boy to get lost' kind of way. He reached over and picked up the directions he'd printed from the internet before leaving his apartment this morning, double-checking that he hadn't missed the turn off. "Two point two miles. And then 'turn left at the old Miller farm'," he grumbled as he made up that last little bit. He kept checking the GPS as well. He was glad he'd taken the precaution of getting directions online before leaving the city, GPS didn't seem to know where the hell he was.
At last, he found the road sign and road he was looking for, after having passed by it twice and circling around. It was a rough country road and Bobby sighed as he reconciled himself that his car's alignment was about to be destroyed. It'll give me a reason to go hang out with Lewis over the weekend.
He realized he was almost at his destination as an iron fence and gate appear up ahead. He lightly tapped the brakes, slowing down and turning into the winding drive. Taking one last look at the directions he'd printed out from the website, he veered to the left, continued up to the peak of a gently sloping hill, and pulled into the first area for parking. He sat staring at the rolling hills and almost talked himself into turning around and driving back into the city. Shaking his head to erase the sudden onslaught of doubt that assaulted him, he pushed the door open and quietly eased the door closed. He started up the small footpath. As the gravel walkway crunched with every footstep he knew he would never be able to mask his arrival. He would settle for surprise at his ingenuity if not at his actual presence.
"I wondered if you'd figure it out," Alex commented before he was even all that close, and Bobby instinctively nodded.
"Well when you asked for a couple days off, in the middle of this…" he started. I was worried about you.
Alex looked up and smiled. "That's sweet. Really," she said as her gaze fell to his hand. "I should have known you would figure it out."
Bobby cleared his throat nervously. "I didn't know if I should but…" he held out the bouquet of flowers. "It just felt like the right thing to do."
Alex took the flowers, and knelt down, laying them before the headstone. "Thank you," she said, and for the first time in a long time, meant it. She nodded. "Yes, I miss him, I miss him a lot." They both stared at the inscription, 'Joseph Phillip Dutton, beloved husband and son', each lost in their own thoughts.
"I'm sorry," Bobby said hesitantly, and he meant that, too.
"So am I," Alex stood up now, wrapping her arms around herself. "He died because a kid panicked. His death was pointless. He was doing his job, a job he loved and was good at, he really was. But it was still pointless and unnecessary." She swallowed tightly. "I don't know if I'll ever…"
Bobby watched her, knowing she was tuned into him, knowing she was aware of what he was thinking. Finally, when she said nothing, he simply acted, stepping up and gathering her into his arms and letting her cry. Letting her finally mourn.
It was just the right thing to do.